My blog featuring my "Gastar" series of novellas along with other fun articles/reviews in dark fantasy and other genres

C.C.Cole

author C.C.Cole's blog

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

On the Economics of Dark Fantasy

"The Hunger Games"

When I read Dark Fantasy
epics, I like details that bring an element of everyday life to the story. Most of us can relate to financial
issues.Money makes the world go
around.People work, steal, lie, die,
and kill for money.Revenge and love are
major character triggers, but so is the need of money, be it in dollars, gold,
gems, or some form of “fantasy money” like the Angarak gold in the Belgariad
series by David Eddings.

When I think of widely read
fantasy novels, “Dune” comes to mind as keeping in check the finances of the
story.The Emperor granted the Duke
Arrakis but funded the attack by the Harkonnens.And as all who’ve read the story know all too
well:The spice was the most valuable
substance in that society.Without spice
there was no transportation, and we know today if we had no transportation in
our world we’d have no society as we live now.

Let’s think about stories
that leave out worries about the pocketbook.In LOTR, Sauron apparently didn’t have a monetary problem; or perhaps he
stole it from wherever.It isn’t really
clear, though it’s as much a favorite epic of mine as any other. Bilbo was a well-to-do Hobbit, and maybe I
didn’t read clearly enough as to why the elves had such nice things.The dwarves dug for their treasure.To be fair to Tolkien (as he definitely
deserves it!), that wasn’t his message in the story.

In the recent hits “Hunger
Games” and “A Song of Ice and Fire” the stories kept close to financial
lines.Katniss was from a poor family
and after winning the Games she could provide a better life for her family in
the beginning of the second book.In
Martin’s books, (“Game of Thrones”), most of the large houses were in the
wealthy Lannister’s pocket, suggesting Tywin Lannister “defecated” gold, which
was disproven by his son Tyrion, an unpleasant but understandable part of the
books.(I will explain that no further).

Writers, having money isn’t
everything, but unlike how they say in football, it isn’t the only thing.In the creation of worlds, we create
societies, families, and hierarchies; fiancés may or may not fit into your
story.It’s hardly a must, but sometimes
makes a compelling fit.Now go write
something great and tweet us about it.